Poker games with player qualification

ABSTRACT

A method of playing a casino table game is disclosed. Players and a Dealer each receive five cards each to make a best five-card poker hand. Players must make an Ante wager and may optionally make a bonus wager. After considering the cards, the player must make a Play wager equal to 2× the Ante wager to stay in the game or fold. When the player hand beats the dealer hand, the Play bet wins 1:1. But in order to win the Ante wager, the player hand must qualify with a minimum hand ranking and beat the dealer. When the player hand beats the dealer hand but does not qualify, the Ante wager pushes. When the dealer hand beats the player hand, the Ante and Play wagers are lost. The Bonus wager is resolved according to a pay table including a plurality of predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/589,701, filed Oct. 30, 2006, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pending application Ser. No. 11/499,864, filed Aug. 4, 2006, each of which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/152,325, filed May 20, 2002, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of games, card games, wagering card games and especially poker-type casino wagering games.

2. Background of the Art

The present invention generally relates to a card game that can be played in a casino or in a card room. More particularly, it relates to a modified version of a stud poker game.

As a leisure time activity, poker and other card games have been popular for many years. The capital requirements for playing poker and other table card games are very low. All that are needed are one or more decks of cards, a playing surface and a few participants. Five card poker is a game that most people know how to play and many games have been developed using the same basic priority or rank order of winning poker hands: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and high card(s) in hand.

For some time, it had been difficult to adapt the rules of poker into a casino table game in which each player plays against the house, rather than against other players. Although club-type games with players wagering against each other have been popular, it was desirable for a game to be played where the house received a more direct payback from the game. In a conventional poker game, a number of players (greater than one) are each dealt a poker hand by one player (or the house dealer who does not play in the game) who acts as the dealer. The player with the highest-ranking hand based on the established priority ranking of poker hands wins. Each player in turn deals a hand as the game continues. It is usually essential to have wagering steps in the game to maintain the interest and excitement of the game. In the absence of wagering, there is little to commend the play of poker.

Many places, both within and without the United States, have legalized gaming. Poker is one of the games of chance offered in both casinos and card rooms. In a conventional card room poker game, the house provides a dealer, the playing cards, the table and chairs, but the house does not play a hand. The house collects a nominal percentage of each player's bet (“the rake”) that compensates the house for providing the facilities to the players. Alternatively, the house may charge each player a set amount per hand or for a specified length of time of play. Each player is competing not against the house, but against all the other players with the highest hand winning the total of all the wagers made on that hand.

Many people do not like to play card room poker because each player is competing against his fellow players, not against the house. Many people would rather attempt to win money from an impersonal source, the house or the casino, rather than from their fellow players with whom they may be acquainted. Card room poker also tends to not offer any bonus payments for particularly good hands, although bonuses are sometimes paid for highest hands in tournaments or for specific combinations of hands at poker tables (e.g., a losing hand of at least a full house). While a Royal Flush is a rare occurrence and generates a thrill for any poker player, the player collects the same total wager that he would have collected if the hand were won with a Three-of-a-Kind.

A number of card games have been introduced to provide poker-type card games as house-banked casino table games. These games have focused on a number of elements in providing excitement and staying power for the games. Players must quickly understand the games. The rules must be simple and clear. The resolution of wagers by the dealer must be easily accomplished. The reading of hands by a dealer must not be complex. In addition, the games must provide a high enough hit frequency to appeal to players, yet allow the house to retain a profitable portion of the wagers. These needs have limited the number of successful games that have been designed and successfully introduced into the casino gaming market.

Among the successful games are Let It Ride Bonus® poker, Three Card Poker® game and Caribbean Stud® poker. These games have each achieved a high level of commercial success with different formats and attributes.

Let It Ride Bonus® stud poker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081. In this game, the player makes a wager in three parts, three cards are dealt to each player (there may be only a single player), and two common cards are dealt face down in front of the dealer. The player examines his/her three cards, evaluates the likelihood of a ranked hand (e.g., at least a pair of tens) being achieved with those three cards and the as yet unseen common cards. The player, based on judgment of that likelihood, may elect to withdraw the first of the three-part wager or keep the wager at risk. Upon the player making that decision, and withdrawing or allowing the first wager to remain at risk, a first of the common cards is turned face up. The player then can make another decision with regard to the play of the hand and whether there is a changed potential for a ranked hand. A second portion of the three-part wager is then withdrawn or allowed to remain at risk. After this decision, the last common card is exposed, and the rank of each player's hand, including the common cards, is evaluated. Payments are made to each player based on only the rank of hand achieved and the number of wagers left on the table from the original three-part wager. As noted, at least one wager must remain, as only two parts can have been withdrawn. Wagers are paid off at rates (or odds), for example, of 1:1 for pairs of at least 10's, 2:1 for two pairs, 3:1 for three-of-a-kind, 5:1 for straights, 7:1 for flushes, 12:1 for full houses, 50:1 for four-of-a-kind, 250:1 for straight flushes, and 1000:1 for Royal Flushes. The specific payout odds can be varied and often casinos choose payout tables that help them achieve a desired percentage hold. Side bonus wagers may also be placed in which ranked hands over three-of-a-kind receive fixed or progressive bonuses, such as $25,000 for a Royal Flush. The bonus payouts and hand combinations are typically displayed on a payout table on the table surface.

The Three Card Poker® game (e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,774) deals three cards to each player and three cards to the dealer, all face down. Initially, one or two optional wagers may be made by the player. One such wager is for the “Pair Plus” bonus bet, a bet on achieving a winning combination included in a payout table. Another wager is the game ante on which the player competes against the dealer. The Pair Plus bet in one example of the invention is a wager that the three-card hand will have a rank of at least one pair or more. The hand is paid off in multiples of the bet depending upon the rank of the hand, with up to 40:1 or more paid out for three-of-a-kind. In the ante wager, if the player wants to compete against the dealer's hand (after viewing the rank of the player's hand), an additional wager equal to one or two times the ante must be placed by the player. The dealer's hand is then exposed. If the dealer does not have a hand of at least a certain qualifying rank (e.g., at least Queen high), the dealer's hand is not in play. If the player has not made the additional wager, the ante is collected by the dealer at some point in the play of the game. If the player has made the additional wager, the ante is paid off to the player if the dealer's hand has not qualified or if the dealer's hand is not as high a rank as the player's hand. If the dealer's hand has qualified, and the dealer's hand is higher than the player's hand, then the ante and the additional wager are collected by the house. If the dealer's hand qualifies (e.g., at least Queen high) and is lower than the player's hand rank, both the ante and additional wager are paid off, with multiples payable to the ante wager for certain high ranking hands (e.g., straights, flushes, straight flushes, three-of-a-kind, etc.). The ranking of the various poker hands is different than in five card poker games.

In Caribbean Stud® poker, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,533, a player makes an initial ante wager, and five cards are dealt to each player and to a dealer. The dealer exposes one of the five cards to influence the player. The player decides if the dealt player hand is of sufficient rank to compete against the dealer's hand. The player may fold the player's hand at that time, or continue the game by placing an additional wager (referred to as the “Bet”) that is usually required to be twice the value of the ante. The dealer's hand qualifies for active play against the Bet with a rank of at least Ace-King. If the dealer qualifies, the rank of the players' hands are compared with the rank of the dealer's hand. Players with hands of higher rank than the dealer's hand win both the ante and the Bet. Players with hands of lower rank than the dealer's hand lose both the ante and the Bet. If an initial side bet (often referred to as the Jackpot side bet) has been made by the player, ranked hands of particularly high values (e.g., at least a Flush) are paid absolute bonus amounts or may be paid out of a progressive jackpot. This bonus side bet is paid whether or not the player's hand rank exceeds the rank of the dealer's hand.

One persistent irritation with players in the game of Caribbean Stud® poker is the fact that the players miss out on opportunities to win when the player holds a high ranking hand and the dealer does not qualify. When the dealer qualifies and the player hand beats the dealer hand, the player wins 1:1 on the Ante and is paid odds on the Call (or play) wager. If for example the player holds a four-of-a-kind and the dealer does not qualify, the player loses out on a payout of 20:1 odds on the Call wager. Since the dealer qualifies only about 50% of the time, players feel disappointed over losing out on relatively large payouts too frequently. The result is that players sometimes lose interest in playing the game.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,827 describes another poker-type casino table card game. This game may be played at a table with as many as seven players competing against a dealer. The play of the game is fairly complex, with each player having both multiple hands and utilization of a dealer's card. One method of play is to provide each player with three cards, and the dealer is provided with four cards. The dealer's play of cards is predetermined, while the players may select their desired holding. Player's hands are competing directly against the dealer's hand in each of the hands made by the player and the dealer.

Shuffle Master, Inc. currently offers a proprietary game marketed under the name Texas Hold 'Em Bonus® poker. The training manual published in 2008 describes the game as including the following steps:

The object of the game is to make a best five-card hand and beat a dealer's best five-card hand from the common cards or a combination of common cards and one or more hole cards. Each player makes a mandatory Ante wager and an optional Bonus side bet wager. Each player and the dealer receive two “hole” cards. One of the dealer's “hole” cards is dealt face down, and the other face up. Five common cards are dealt face down in a community card area on the playing surface. After viewing the initial two cards, the player has the option to fold or to make a first Play wager that is twice the amount of the Ante wager. The dealer then reveals the “flop”, or the first three community cards. Players then have the option to check (i.e.—continue to play without further wagering) or make a Play wager that is equal to the Ante wager. The dealer then reveals a fourth community card, and the player has the option to check or make another Play wager equal to the Ante wager. The fifth community card is then revealed. The dealer reveals his down turned hole card and the players reveal their hole cards. Players and the dealer make their best five-card hand from the seven available cards. When the player hand outranks the dealer hand, the player is paid 1:1 on the Play wagers. When the player hand outranks the dealer hand and the player hand is a predetermined minimum qualifying hand rank or higher, the Ante is paid 1:1. Examples of qualifying hand ranks include Flush or better, Straight or better and Three 10's or better. Otherwise the Ante loses. When the dealer hand outranks the player hand, all wagers are lost. If the dealer and player hands tie, then the Ante and all Play wagers push. The bonus wager pays odds for predetermined two-card (hole card) hands, with the low hand being a pair of 10's and the highest hand being a pair of Aces.

It is always desirable to explore alternative games for play in the field of gaming tables to provide players with varied experiences and alternatives to known games.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of playing a wagering game is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing one or more standard decks of cards and a player placing at least one Ante wager to play a wagering game against a dealer hand. A dealer distributes cards to the game, wherein each player and the dealer utilize cards designated as part of the player and dealer hands, respectively. After viewing at least one of the cards designated as part of the player hand, the player makes a Play wager or folds, and when the player folds, the player loses the at least one Ante wager. According to the method the poker ranking of each player hand is compared to the poker ranking of the dealer hand. The player is paid a payout on the at least one Ante when the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer hand. The Ante wager pushes when the player hand does not qualify but beats the dealer hand. The Ante and Play wager are forfeited to the house when the dealer hand beats the player hand.

The present invention may also be characterized as a method of playing a wagering game, the method using a standard 52-card deck of cards and standard five-card poker rankings as a basis for resolving hands. The method includes the step of a player placing an Ante wager to play a wagering game against a dealer hand. Each player and the dealer receive five cards to make a player hand and a dealer hand, respectively. After the player viewing the player cards, the player makes a Play wager equal to twice the Ante amount or must fold. When the player folds, the player loses the Ante wager to the house.

Next, a poker ranking of each player hand is compared to a poker ranking of the dealer hand to determine which hand outranks the other hand. The player is paid a payout on the Ante when the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer hand. The Ante wager pushes when the player hand does not qualify but beats the dealer hand. The Ante and Play wager are forfeited to the house when the dealer hand beats the player hand.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a gaming table layout suitable for play of a first exemplary game of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a gaming table layout suitable for play of another exemplary game of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a gaming table layout suitable for play of yet another exemplary game of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a method of playing a wagering game. The method comprises the step of providing one or more standard decks of cards, which can be physical cards or electronic representations of cards. A player places at least one Ante wager to play a wagering game against a dealer hand. In one example of the invention, the player places one Ante wager. In another example, the player places two Ante wagers. According to the invention, the dealer distributes cards to the game. The cards are distributed in a manner that permits the players to use the cards as player cards. Players and the dealer utilize cards designated by the game rules as being part of the player and dealer hands, respectively. After viewing at least one of the cards designated as part of the player hand, the player must make a Play wager to stay in the game or must fold, forfeiting the Ante wager. Next, the poker ranking of each player hand is compared to the poker ranking of the dealer hand to determine a winner. According to the method, a payout is paid on at least one Ante when the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer hand. The Ante wager pushes when the player hand does not qualify but beats the dealer hand. When the dealer hand beats the player hand, the Ante and Play wagers are forfeited to the house.

In one example of the invention, in the event of a tie, the Ante and Play wagers push. In other examples of the invention, the Ante pushes and the Play wager is lost to the house. In yet other variants of the invention, in the event of a tie, the Play wager pushes and the Ante is lost to the house.

In examples of the invention, and opportunity is provided for the player to make a Bonus side bet at the time of making the Ante wager, or during play. In one example of the invention, players and the dealer receive five cards to make a best five-card hand. No extra cards are drawn and no cards are discarded. In other embodiments, extra cards are dealt and upon consideration of the cards, the rules require the player to discard one or more cards.

In one form of the invention, each player and the dealer receive five cards to form a five-card poker hand. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up in one example of the invention. In other embodiments, the player receives six, seven or eight cards to make a best five-card poker hand. The rules of the game in some embodiments can require the player to discard and draw, to discard, or to play a stud game, wherein all dealt cards must be played and no substitutions are permitted. When playing a five-card poker game, a well-known hierarchy of poker rankings is used to resolve the hands.

That same hierarchy of poker hands may be used to resolve the bonus wager, using predetermined assigned payout odds. The side bet preferably pays an odds payout for certain predetermined poker hands, such as a full house, for example. The pay table can include one predetermined winning poker hand, but preferably contains multiple predetermined winning hands and corresponding payout odds.

In one form of the invention, the player is required to make one Ante wager to participate in the game. In another form of the invention, the player can elect to make more than one Ante wager, such as two Ante wagers. In yet another form of the invention, the player may be required to make two mandatory Ante wagers. If more than one Ante wager is made, it is preferable that both Ante wagers are lost when the dealer hand beats the player hand.

In another form of the invention, the player plays a four-card poker game against a dealer's four-card poker hand. The dealer may deal four cards to each player and the dealer, but in one embodiment, the players receive five cards to make a best four-card poker hand. The dealer receives four, five or six cards to make a best four-card poker hand and in one example, receives five cards.

In the examples below, each player receives his or her own hand of cards. In other forms of the invention, community cards are dealt to a common position and form part of the player designated cards. These same cards may be used by the dealer according to the rules of the game. Different cards may be dealt for use by the dealer. The dealer may deal extra cards to the player that can only be used by purchasing the extra card. All players may play a common player hand against a dealer hand, or the rules may allow the player to wager on a common player hand or on a dealer hand. Even when players play their own cards, in some embodiments, the rules allow the players to wager on the dealer hand instead of the player hand, or on the occurrence of a tie hand. In each of the above examples, the rules of the game designate which cards may be used by a player to form a player hand and which cards may be used by the dealer to form a dealer hand. Wild cards may be introduced into the deck, or extra cards, such as an additional Ace to increase the frequency of occurrence of certain hands.

When the game is a five-card game, it is preferred that conventional five-card poker rankings are used as the basis of resolving player hands. Conventional 52 card decks are also preferred, but special decks with extra suits, certain cards removed, etc. are also contemplated. When the game is a five-card game and a conventional 52 card deck of cards is used to play the game, the following three exemplary Bonus Bet pay tables can be utilized:

TABLE I Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 1000 1000 1000 Straight Flush 200 200 200 Four of a Kind 100 100 100 Full House 50 50 50 Flush 40 40 40 Straight 25 25 20 Three of a Kind 7 6 6

In games of the present invention, the player places at least one Ante to participate in the game. The dealer deals at least a partial hand of cards to the player, and in one example, a complete five-card hand to the player. The player views his cards and must make a Play wager that is between 1× and 3× the Ante wager to stay in the game, and preferably makes a Play wager that is exactly 2× the Ante amount.

A unique aspect of the present invention is that the player must qualify with a minimum poker ranking in order to win a payout on the Ante. In some embodiments, the player must have a minimum qualifying hand to wager more than 1× the Ante. In some embodiments of the present invention, when the player hand qualifies and beats the dealer hand, the house pays 1:1 on the Ante. In other embodiments, when the player hand qualifies and is a predetermined winning hand, the player is paid an odds payout, such as 5:1 on the Ante. In yet other embodiments, the player hand must qualify, beat the dealer hand and be a predetermined winning hand to earn an odds payout.

Methods of the present invention may be characterized as a method of playing a wagering game, using a standard 52-card deck of cards and standard five-card poker rankings as a basis for resolving hands. The method comprises the step of providing a standard deck of cards, and each player placing an Ante wager to play a wagering game against a dealer hand. Each player and the dealer receive five cards each to make a player hand and a dealer hand, respectively. After the player viewing the player cards, the player must make a Play wager equal to twice the Ante amount or must fold. When the player folds, the player loses the Ante wager to the house. According to the method, the poker ranking of each player hand is compared to the poker ranking of the dealer hand to determine which hand outranks the other hand. The player wins a payout on the Ante when the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer hand. The Ante wager pushes when the player hand does not qualify but beats the dealer hand. The Ante and Play wagers are forfeited to the house when the dealer hand beats the player hand.

According to the invention, the player can make one or more optional side bet wagers. For example, the player can make a “pay table” wager, wherein the player wins an odds or fixed payout for achieving a predetermined winning poker hand ranking. Additional exemplary pay tables may be used to determine bonus payouts and payout amounts:

TABLE II Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 1000 1000 1000 Straight Flush 200 200 200 Four of a Kind 100 100 100 Full House 50 50 50 Flush 40 40 40 Straight 25 25 20 Three of a Kind 7 6 6 Two Pair 3 3 3 Pair of 10's or Better 1 1 1

In other embodiments, the bonus side bet is mandatory. A progressive side bet may be offered, utilizing jackpot bonusing systems as described in Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 and Paulsen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,067, the disclosures are incorporated by reference in its entirety. When a progressive side bet is offered, it is preferable to pay out a jackpot for only high ranking hands, such as a flush or better. Exemplary pay tables for a progressive side bet on a five card poker ranking is as follows:

TABLE III Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 100% 100% 100% Straight Flush 10% 5000 5000 Four of a Kind 500 500 250 Full House 100 100 100 Flush 50 50 50

In a preferred embodiment, all progressive payouts are paid out of the bonus prize pool and are deducted from the meter at the time of the payout. In other embodiments, the lesser payouts, i.e. less than $25, are funded by the house and not by the metered prize pool.

In preferred forms of the invention, the player must qualify with a minimum qualifying hand in order to win a payout on the Ante. In one example, the qualifying hand is Two Pair or better. When the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer, the Ante pays 1:1. In other embodiments, the Ante wager pays odds for predetermined winning hands. In the event that the player held a qualifying hand that was also a predetermined winning hand, the player receives an odds payout on the Ante wager.

In the event that the player and dealer hold hands of equal rank, the Ante and Play wagers push in one example of the invention. Although it is not an essential feature of the game rules, it is preferred that the dealer deal one dealer card face-up. In other embodiments, more than one card or no dealer cards are dealt face up.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the Ante wager pays a 1:1 payout when the player hand qualifies and beats the dealer hand. When the player hand beats the dealer hand but does not qualify, in a preferred example of the invention, the Ante is a push. Only when the dealer hand beats the player hand is the Ante lost. This game rule eliminates the disadvantages of the dealer qualification feature of the Caribbean Stud® game described above, and consequently allows players who achieve high ranking hands to be rewarded more frequently, and is believed to help hold the interest of the players and to increase play time at the table.

Example I Four Card Game with One Dealer and Player Discard

The following 4-card examples of the invention may be played on a layout as shown in FIG. 1. Wagering areas 10 are provided for each player, and card receiving areas 12 are available for each of the players. A card receiving area 13 is provided for the dealer. The playing surface includes an area 15 for positioning a chip tray. The wagering areas 10 may include four distinct wagering zones for each player comprising a Bonus wager area 14 (e.g., the Aces-Up wager), an Ante area 16, a Play wager area 18 and a Super Bonus area 20. The Super Bonus wager is defined as a second mandatory wager that has some characteristics of an Ante wager and some characteristics of a bonus wager. The Super Bonus wager is not a conventional pay table wager, because the wager is not automatically lost if the player does not receive a predetermined winning hand. The wager pays when the player holds a predetermined winning hand that qualifies, regardless of whether or not the player hand outranks the dealer hand. The Super Bonus wager also does not automatically lose if the player does not hold a qualifying hand. If the player hand beats the dealer hand but the player hand does not qualify, the bet is a push. If the dealer hand beats the player hand, and the player does not hold a qualifying hand, the Super Bonus is lost to the house along with the other Ante wager.

To initiate play of the game, a deck of 52 standard playing cards is provided. Each player who wishes to enter the play of the game makes the Ante and Super Bonus wager and optionally the Bonus Bet, which in this example of the invention is called the Aces-Up bet. House rules dictate the size of the bets, but in this example, the Ante and Super Bonus wagers must be equal. The Aces-Up bet amounts in this example are dictated by house rules and may be equal to, less than or greater than the Ante. The player may play the hand blind (also referred to as the “House Way”) by placing both an Ante and an additional Play Bet (in an amount equal to the Ante) before viewing his or her cards. After placement of the at least one wager, each player is provided with a number of cards, preferably five, from which a best four-card poker hand is selected. The cards may be dealt as a complete set of five cards or in partial hands of one or more cards with additional wagering steps required after the distribution of each of the partial hands. At about the same time, the dealer is dealt a five-card hand. In this embodiment, all of the cards in the hand are assigned to a player. In other embodiments, common cards are used to form player hands and the dealer hand.

In this example of the invention, a four-card poker hand is played using four card poker rankings. From highest ranking to lowest, the 4-card poker ranking hierarchy is Four of a Kind, Straight Flush, Three of a Kind, Flush, Straight, Two Pair, Pair, High Card. The player reviews the five cards received at that player position and determines what best four-card poker hand can be made from the five cards. In other embodiments, the dealer assists the player in identifying the best hand. If the player believes that the cards cannot form a four-card poker rank of sufficiently high rank to warrant competition against the dealer's hand (even without that hand or any portion of that hand having been displayed), the player may fold the hand, refusing to place an additional Play wager. If the player does not make the Play wager, the Ante and Super Bonus wagers are collected by the dealer, since both are bets against a dealer hand. In this example of the invention, if the player made the Aces-Up bet and decides to fold, the Aces-Up bet remains active regardless of the outcome of play against the dealer hand. If the player determines that the rank of the best four-card poker hand that can be made from the five cards dealt to the player is sufficiently high as to warrant competition against the dealer (or if the player wants to ‘bluff’ against the dealer, particularly if the dealer must qualify), the player makes an additional wager, referred to as a Play bet or game bet. According to the invention, the additional wager may be multiples of the Ante, such as 1×, 2×, 3×, 4× or 5× the amount of the original Ante, at the option of the player. In the present example of the invention, the game bet must equal 1× the ante unless the player has a qualifying hand such as a pair of kings or better for example. If the player's hand qualifies he has the option of increasing his bet to up to 3× the amount of the Ante, at the option of the player.

After discarding excess cards and placing the Play Bet, or placing the fifth card face down, or merely leaving the fifth card in the hand so that the hand may be arranged and ranked by the dealer or player when exposed, the player's hand is placed on the table for display. The dealer's hand is then revealed after each and every player has determined whether or not the Game Bet is to be made. The dealer compares the value or rank of his hand against the value or rank of each player's hand, usually in succession around the table, and each series of wagers (the Aces-Up wager, the Ante, the Super Bonus and the Play Bet) is resolved.

Ties on the rank of player's hands and dealers hands may be either paid to the player, called a push, or collected by the dealer, depending upon the desired house advantage the casino wants to build into the game. In this example of the invention, ties result in pushing the Ante and Play wagers. The dealer must qualify in this example of the invention to play against the player hands. In the present example, the dealer must qualify with a King high to play.

Resolution on the wagers may be based upon game rules, including pay tables for the Aces-Up and Super Bonus wagers. Preferred play of the game provides pay tables for one or more of the Aces-Up wager, and the Super Bonus bet. In other embodiments, a pay table automatic bonus payout is paid on the ante. The Play Bet pays one-to-one with a player win.

Example 2 Players and Dealer Receive Unequal Amounts of Cards to Make a Best 4-Card Hand

The second exemplary game of the present invention may be played on a layout as shown in FIG. 2. The layout has a gaming surface 50 bearing an area 52 for positioning a chip tray (not shown), and area for positioning a shuffler 54 (not shown), a dealer card area 56 and multiple player areas 58, 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68. Since all player areas are substantially identical, only area 58 will be described in detail. Player area 58 includes three wagering areas. The wagering areas include an Ante wagering area 70, a Play bet wagering area 72 and a Bonus bet area 74. The layout may include an area 76 for posting bonus payouts, and an area 78 for posting automatic Ante bonuses. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “automatic” when referring to a payout means that the payout is not conditional upon the making of a wager. Since the Ante wager pays whenever the player hand beats the dealer hand, and additional odds payouts are made when the player holds a predetermined high ranking hand, the bonus payouts are automatic.

Each player in this example receives 5 cards, and the dealer receives 6 cards to play a best Four-card poker hand against a dealer hand. The players and the dealer identify their best four card poker hands, the players may rely upon the house for assistance, if needed. The dealer always qualifies, that is the dealer's hand and any players' hands are always in play if the ante bet is made. Players have the choice of placing one or both of the Ante Bet and a Bonus Bet (e.g., the Aces-Up wager). House rules may require the player to make the Ante Bet, the Bonus Bet, or both the Ante and Bonus Bet. The Ante wager is a wager directly against the rank of the dealer's hand, and the Aces-Up Bonus Bet is a bet against a pay table. If after viewing his/her hand, a player chooses to stay in the game against the dealer (keeping the Ante wager in play), the player must make an additional Play Bet to stay in the game. This Play Bet may be, for example, between 1 and 5 (or between 1 and 4, or between 1 and 3) times the amount of the initial Ante wager at the opinion of the player. In other forms of the game, the player's Game Bet must be 1× the ante unless the player holds a qualifying hand of a pair of Aces or better. In this example of the invention, if the player has a qualifying hand, he can bet up to 3× the Ante. Preferably, the player must hold a pair of aces or better to win on the Bonus Bet (hence the name ‘Aces-Up’). The Bonus Bet preferably pays a maximum return of 50:1, but payouts may theoretically be as high as 500:1 for certain hands, such as for four Aces. The Bonus Bet side bet game may or may not be present in the rules of the game. In this example of the invention, the game pays an automatic bonus for certain high ranking hands according to a payout schedule. This bonus is paid on the Ante wager, and does not require the player to make a separate bet to qualify for this payout. For example, automatic bonuses are paid on three of a kind, straight flushes and four of a kind.

One exemplary pay table for this embodiment is shown below:

TABLE IV Hand Automatic Bonus Odds Aces Up Odds Four-of a Kind 25:1  50:1  Three-of-aKind 2:1 40:1  Flush 5:1 Straight 4:1 Two Pair 3:1 Pair of Aces 1:1

Example 3 Players and Dealer Make Best 4 Card Hand of 5 Cards, with Dealer Hand Discard/Draw Rule

This exemplary game may also be played on the layout shown in FIG. 2. Each player and the dealer get five cards to make the best four-card poker hand. If the dealer's hand does not equal or exceed a certain rank (e.g., a pair of 2's or better), he discards all cards and draws a new five-card hand, and then makes a four-card poker hand from the five new cards. The player must make the Ante wager to be in the game against the dealer. The dealer always qualifies to play against the player. It is possible to allow the player or require the player to make the Ante wager: 1) before the deal of cards, 2) after the deal of cards but before any cards are revealed, 3) after the deal of cards and after the players has reviewed his cards but before the dealer has exposed cards, 4) after the deal of cards and a partial or complete revelation of the dealer's five cards (but before review of the player's cards), or 5) after the deal of cards and a review of the players' cards and a partial revelation or complete revelation of the dealer's five cards, which play might be restricted to where the dealer has not qualified (but not after revelation of any sixth card). The player's hand may be required to exceed a minimum rank to bet more than 1× the Ante. For example, if the player has a qualifying hand of a pair of Kings or better, the player can make a Play Bet of 1×, 2× or 3× the Ante. As with Examples 1 and 2, the rules can provide that only the Ante is mandatory, the Bonus Bet (side bet) is mandatory or both initial bets (the Ante and the Bonus Bet) are mandatory. The automatic bonus against a pay table on the Ante bet may or may not be present in the rules of the game. The Bonus Bet game may or may not be present, also in the rules of the game. In this example, a pair of aces or better qualifies the player for an Aces-Up payout of 1:1. The automatic bonus pays even if the player's hand is lower in rank than the dealer's hand.

Example IV Dealer and Players Make a Best 4-Card Hand from 5 Dealt Cards; Ante Pays an Automatic Bonus, Dealer Must Qualify

This example of the game may be played on the layout illustrated in FIG. 2. The players and dealer each receive five cards to make their best four-card poker hand. The betting/wagering rules and procedures are the same as in the previous versions, except for those listed below. Either the Ante is mandatory, the Ante or the Bonus Bet is mandatory, or both initial wagers are mandatory. The dealer must qualify to play (for example, with a hand of Ace high or better, King-Queen or higher, Ace-King or higher, pair of deuces or higher, etc.). The automatic bonus side bet game against a pay table is present in the rules of this example of the game.

If the player stays in the game, the player can bet 1× to 3× the Ante if the player has a qualifying hand of a pair of Kings or better. Otherwise, the maximum Game Bet is 1× the Ante. The lowest ranking hand that qualifies for the bonus payout is a pair of Aces or better.

Example V Dealer and Players Make a Best 4-Card Hand from 5 Dealt Cards. Players Must Make Ante and Super Bonus. Play Bet can be a Multiple of the Ante if The Player Hand Qualifies

The dealer and each player are dealt five cards each. The cards are used to make the best four-card poker hand by the players and the dealer.

Players can make a bet against the dealer (Ante), a bet against the pay table (Aces-Up Bonus Bet) or both. House rules may require one or both bets to be mandatory. In addition, the players are required to make a Super Bonus bet in an amount equal to the Ante in this example of the invention.

Players place equal bets on the Ante and/or Super Bonus and/or Bonus spots on the layout. After viewing the cards, the player must fold or place an additional Bet (play wager). If the player's hand does not qualify with a pair of Kings or better, he must bet 1× the ante to continue playing the game. With a qualifying hand of a pair of Kings or better, he can bet an amount equal to or multiples of the Ante, such as 1×, 2× or 3× the Ante.

If the player has a higher ranking hand than the dealer's hand, the player is paid 1:1 on the ante and the play bet. If the dealer's hand outranks the player's hand, the player loses the ante and the play bet.

The player has the option (or may be required) at the beginning of the game to place an Aces-Up bonus bet. In this example of the invention, the player wins a bonus payout for a pair of Aces or better. If the player makes the Ante and Play bets and beats the dealer, but does not have a pair of Aces or better, the player pushes on the bonus bet. The player is always paid on the Aces-Up bonus bet, regardless of whether or not the player's hand beats the dealer's hand.

In addition, this example of the invention includes a mandatory Super Bonus bet that is made in an amount equal to the ante. The player wins a payout for certain high ranking hands such as a straight flush or four of a kind. A pay table is provided on the layout to identify winning hands and payout amounts.

A failure to obtain a “Super Bonus” hand does not result in an automatic loss of the bet. For example, when the player's hand against the dealer does not qualify with a pair of kings or a straight flush or better, but the hand still beats the dealer, the Super Bonus bet pushes. But, if you fold on the ante or lose the ante and play bets against the dealer, the Super Bonus bet is also lost.

The Super Bonus bet is desirable in some instances where it is desired to provide the house with more of an advantage. In this example of the game, removing the mandatory Super Bonus bet causes the game to favor the player. However, other rule changes such as requiring the dealer to qualify, or raising the minimum qualification hand ranking when making the play bet are other means to shift the odds to favor the house.

There are a number of advantages in the game of the present invention. The fold rate on this game is approximately 21%, which is lower than the fold rate in other known games, such as Three Card Poker®. This feature is believed to attract and retain players, making the game more appealing to casinos.

Players win this game approximately 48% of the time, which exceeds the expectation of many players, and increases player appeal. In some situations, e.g., when the player has a qualifying hand, additional betting opportunities are available, such as tripling down on the Ante, increasing player appeal.

By varying the number of cards made available to the dealer and/or players, in forming the hands, by requiring the dealer's hand to qualify or by eliminating dealer qualification, by modifying the payouts and winning hand combinations possible on the bonus bet, by adding the Super Bonus bet etc., the payouts can be made to pay as high as 500:1, e.g., for four of a kind hands. This feature is believed to attract and retain more poker players.

Example VI Five-Card Game with No Discarded Cards, Ante is Mandatory, Bonus Bet is Optional

A five-card stud poker game is played against a dealer hand on a layout as shown in FIG. 3. The gaming table layout 21 has a plurality of player positions 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34. A chip tray area 36 is provided to hold an inventory of chips, and a shuffler 38 randomizes cards and delivers pre-formed hands of cards into the game. The layout 21 also has an area for displaying a dealer hand 38. Within each player position 22 is a first area is a first area 40 for placement of an Ante wager, a second area 42 for placing a Play wager, and a third area 44 for placing a Bonus wager. An area 46 displays a bonus pay table that resolves the bonus wager made in area 44. An area 47 is provided when the game has a progressive jackpot component and in this example, a progressive payout pay table may be displayed in this area. Alternately, pay tables may be displayed on marketing literature and/or freestanding plaques instead of being printed directly on the layout. An electronic wager sensor 48 such as the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,367,884 and owned by Shuffle Master, Inc. is provided to electronically sense wagers. Exemplary progressive bonusing equipment (not shown) as described in Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,041 tracks the size of the jackpot and increments the meter as players place wagers on the sensor 48. It is to be understood that each player area 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 34 has identical characteristics so only the first player position 22 has been described in detail.

A dealer deals five cards to each player and to the dealer area from a standard 52-card deck. The dealer deals one card face up and four cards face down to the dealer position. The cards are shuffled by an automatic card shuffler and formed into random hands in the shuffler. An exemplary shuffler is disclosed in published application 2008/0006997, published Jan. 10, 2008 and assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc. The content of this published application is hereby incorporated by reference. The shuffler may be set to dispense a packet of five cards to each player. Players are required to make an Ante bet within table limits. Players may optionally place a bonus bet and a $1.00 progressive bonus bet.

Players view their cards and have a choice to fold and lose the Ante, or stay in the game by placing a Play bet that is equal to 2× the amount of the Ante bet. The dealer then reveals his cards and announces his hand. The dealer then reveals the cards of each player that stayed in the game. If the player hand beats the dealer hand, the Play bet pays 1:1. The Ante wager is resolved using different rules than the Play wager. If the player hand beats the dealer hand and qualifies with a hand of two pair or better, the Ante pays even money. If the player hand beats the dealer hand but the player hand does not qualify, the Ante pushes. If the dealer hand beats the player hand, both the Ante and Play bets are lost to the house. If the dealer and player hands tie, the Bet and Ante wagers push. The bonus bet wins if the player holds a pair of 10's or better. The following payout schedule determines payout odds and corresponding predetermined winning hands on the Bonus bet:

TABLE V Hand Payout Odds Royal Flush 1000 Straight Flush 200 Four of a Kind 100 Full House 50 Flush 40 Straight 25 Three of a Kind 7 Two Pair 3 Pair of 10's or Better 1 The progressive bet pays according to the following payout schedule:

TABLE VI Hand Payout Odds Royal Flush 100% Straight Flush 10% Four of a Kind 500 Full House 100 Flush 50

Offering games have player hand qualification requirements offer distinct advantages that are not known or appreciated in prior art gaming methods. In comparing games of the present invention to a well known game such as Caribbean Stud® with a dealer qualification step that eliminates pays on half of a player's strong hands, games of the present invention award payouts on strong player hands more frequently. Features of the present invention encourage more play, generate longer play sessions and result in higher revenue to the casino.

The play of the game may be completed manually on a non-electronic game table, with the dealer using a physical deck(s) of cards, visually identifying the amounts and positions of wagers, manually collecting and paying out wagers, etc. It is possible to offer games of the present invention in partial or complete electronic formats. Partial electronic formats incorporate some electronic components into the game table or into the play of the game. One example of completely electronic formats include Shuffle Master, Inc.'s Table Master™ multi player gaming platform as described in U.S. Patent Publication 2005-0164762 A1, assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc. The content of this disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference. This gaming platform provides a virtual dealer and multiple player positions and game play simulates live game play. An example of another format utilizes physical cards and credit wagering is Shuffle Master, Inc's i-Table™ platform, as disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 12/218,583, filed Jul. 15, 2008 and assigned Attorney Docket No. PA2212.ap.US. The content of this application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This platform features the use of physical cards dispensed from a card handling device that reads rank and suit information. Player positions are equipped with credit wagering controls and players play with physical cards but no chips. Other partial or complete electronic systems may perform such tasks as identifying the existence of a wager (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,229,534; 5,337,973; and 5,377,994), or may provide virtual cards from an electronically stored deck of cards (e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,255,915; and 5,897,436). The capabilities of technology are constantly expanding, and the improvements in technology should not be considered to avoid the underlying invention of the play of this game. For example, player monitoring systems, security systems, integrated systems where shufflers identify the number of cards and/or identify the specific cards and their positions in the play of the game are contemplated in the practice of the present invention. Other formats that utilize the game play methods of the present invention include practice play on a personal computer, hand-held practice play devices, internet gaming, gaming machines such as well known video poker gaming machines, wireless gaming platforms and the like. These devices can be programmed to execute the game play steps of the present invention. 

1. A method of playing a wagering game, comprising: providing one or more standard decks of cards; a player placing at least one Ante wager to play a wagering game against a dealer hand; a dealer distributing cards to the game, wherein each player and the dealer utilize cards designated as part of the player and dealer hands, respectively; after viewing at least one of the cards designated as part of the player hand, making a Play wager or folding, and when the player folds, the player loses the at least one Ante wager; comparing a poker ranking of each player hand against a poker ranking of the dealer hand; paying the player a payout on the at least one Ante when the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer hand; pushing the Ante wager when the player hand does not qualify but beats the dealer hand; and forfeiting the Ante and Play wager to the house when the dealer hand beats the player hand.
 2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of declaring the Ante and Play wagers a push when a player and dealer hand are a tie.
 3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising a bonus side bet that pays on at least one predetermined winning player hand.
 4. The method of claim 2, and further comprising a bonus side bet that pays according to a pay table of payout odds for multiple predetermined winning hands.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein two Ante wagers are made, and both Ante wagers are forfeited if the player does not make a Play wager.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein each player receives five cards to make a best four-card poker hand.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein each player receives five cards to make a best five-card poker hand.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein player designated cards are selected from the group consisting of cards dealt to a player, cards dealt to a common player hand, common cards designated for use by a player, common cards designated for use by a player and a dealer, virtual cards, wild cards and extra cards designated for player use.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein conventional five-card poker rankings are used to resolve hands.
 10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of providing a standard 52-card deck of conventional cards to play the game.
 11. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the following pay tables are used: Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 1000 1000 1000 Straight Flush 200 200 200 Four of a Kind 100 100 100 Full House 50 50 50 Flush 40 40 40 Straight 25 25 20 Three of a Kind 7 6 6


12. The method of claim 4, wherein the Play wager is between 1× and 3× the Ante wager.
 13. The method of claim 4, wherein the Play wager is 2× the Ante wager.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the player must have a minimum qualifying hand in order to wager more than 1× the Ante wager.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein an odds payout is paid on the at least one Ante wager when the player hand qualifies and the player hand is a predetermined winning hand combination.
 16. A method of playing a wagering game, the method using a standard 52-card deck of cards and standard five-card poker rankings as a basis for resolving hands, the method comprising: a player placing an Ante wager to play a wagering game against a dealer hand; each player and the dealer receiving five cards to make a player hand and a dealer hand, respectively; after the player viewing the player cards, the player making a Play wager equal to twice the Ante amount or folding, and when the player folds, the player loses the Ante wager to the house; comparing a poker ranking of each player hand against a poker ranking of the dealer hand to determine which hand outranks the other hand; and paying the player a payout on the Ante when the player holds a qualifying hand and beats the dealer hand; pushing the Ante wager when the player hand does not qualify but beats the dealer hand; and forfeiting the Ante and Play wager to the house when the dealer hand beats the player hand.
 17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising the player optionally making a side bet wager on the occurrence of obtaining at least one predetermined winning combination.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the qualifying hand on the Ante is Two Pair or better.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the Ante and Play wagers push when the player and dealer hands tie.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein predetermined winning combinations and corresponding payout odds are selected from one of the following pay tables: Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 1000 1000 1000 Straight Flush 200 200 200 Four of a Kind 100 100 100 Full House 50 50 50 Flush 40 40 40 Straight 25 25 20 Three of a Kind 7 6 6


21. The method of claim 16, wherein one of the dealer cards is dealt face-up.
 22. The method of claim 16, wherein the game pays odds on the Ante wager when the player hand qualifies with a predetermined minimum poker ranking or higher.
 23. The method of claim 4 wherein the bonus bet payoffs are resolved according the following pay table: Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 1000 1000 1000 Straight Flush 200 200 200 Four of a Kind 100 100 100 Full House 50 50 50 Flush 40 40 40 Straight 25 25 20 Three of a Kind 7 6 6 Two Pair 3 3 3 Pair of 10's or Better 1 1 1


24. The method of claim 17, wherein the bonus bet payoffs are resolved according to the following pay table: Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 1000 1000 1000 Straight Flush 200 200 200 Four of a Kind 100 100 100 Full House 50 50 50 Flush 40 40 40 Straight 25 25 20 Three of a Kind 7 6 6 Two Pair 3 3 3 Pair of 10's or Better 1 1 1


25. The method of claim 1 and further comprising a progressive bonus bet resolved according to the following pay table: Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 100% 100% 100% Straight Flush 10% 5000 5000 Four of a Kind 500 500 250 Full House 100 100 100 Flush 50 50 50


26. The method of claim 17, and further comprising a progressive bonus bet resolved according to the following pay table: Hand Pay Table 1 Pay Table 2 Pay Table 3 Royal Flush 100% 100% 100% Straight Flush 10% 5000 5000 Four of a Kind 500 500 250 Full House 100 100 100 Flush 50 50 50 